PROJECT RUNWAY
Bravo · July 16 · Number of episodes: TBD
THE SCOOP Season 5 of Project Runway has fans concerned about two things. One: How can anyone top Christian Siriano? And two: Will the producers sabotage the show in its last Bravo season before it heads to Lifetime? First, let's address Mr. Fierce Hot Tranny Mess. ''You don't even try to top Christian,'' says mentor extraordinaire Tim Gunn. ''You just try to get characters people hate to love and love to hate.'' Exec producer Jane Lipsitz says we should keep our eyes on ''a group of really solid women designers'' and a ''couple of relatable characters...like Wendy Pepper until she turned out to be a villain.'' As for a buh-bye Bravo blowout? ''This being our last season, we want it to be memorable,'' says Lipsitz, who, along with producing partner Dan Cutforth, will leave the show once season 5 wraps. Adds Cutforth, ''We have one big surprise that we're putting together that will delight fans.''
MAKING IT WORK ON THE WEST COAST ''I feel like a bigamist because my Guide to Style show will still be on Bravo, so the whole thing is very bittersweet,'' says Gunn of the upcoming network switch. He also sounds a little ambivalent about the plan for Runway to split its time between New York and L.A. in season 6. ''I can't picture me behind the wheel of a car, and biologically, a tan is not going to happen. I turn red like a lobster, peel, and then I'm white again. You'll see me enshrouded like Lucy Ricardo when they visited Palm Springs.'' But it'll be a very chic shroud, no doubt. —Jessica Shaw
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